As is usual in recent years, summer comes with heat waves that will make us spend very hot moments, both on the street and at home. To try to make these moments more bearable in our homes, the professionals at ROCKWOOL, a leading manufacturer of rock wool, sustainable and recyclable insulation, give us five tips so that you can achieve a suitable temperature at home without the use of refrigeration systems. Get thermal comfort and avoid energy waste.
1. FILL THE HOUSE WITH PLANTS
One of the main benefits of having plants in the house is that they help to humidify the environment and, therefore, to refresh the house. Watering them helps cool the atmosphere laden with outside heat. Besides, they absorb polluting gases and purify the air in the room where they are located.
2. TURN OFF THE LIGHTS
During the summer months, there are more hours of sunlight. Thus, making the most of them allows you not to turn on unnecessary lights. A good tip is to use terraces or balconies in the hours that the sun does not touch and do activities in those cool outdoor spaces. In case you need lighting in your interior spaces, you can change the bulbs for LED ones, which emit less heat in the rooms.
3. AVOID TURNING ON APPLIANCES
Another trick is to avoid turning on electrical appliances such as televisions, ovens, or computers during the hottest hours. These devices generate a lot of energy that is released in the form of heat. For example, using a dishwasher can increase the temperature of a space by up to 2ºC. Therefore, when you turn them on, try not to be close and close the rooms well, so that the heat is not transmitted to the rest of the house.
4. REINFORCE DOORS AND WINDOWS
The next step is to reinforce the airtightness of the doors and windows since this is where the outside heat is filtered. How? You can apply putties or weatherstripping, silicone pieces that prevent air leaks from occurring, and you can also install awnings or blinds to protect the home from the sun and thus avoid high temperatures. Another option is to use thermal insulating curtains that prevent the passage of heat.
In case you want to renew the doors and windows, it will be important that you choose those that include energy efficiency labels since they consume less. Low-emissivity ones do not allow outside heat to enter your home and allow a 30% to 50% reduction in energy consumption.
5. THERMALLY INSULATES
To avoid turning on the air conditioning, which generates high energy and economic costs, a good option is to insulate the property with the maximum thermal performance. “Rock wool is the basis of all our solutions, due to its thermal properties, it helps to maintain an optimal and constant temperature, whatever the weather conditions outside. Rock wool works as a protector in construction and, at the same time, delays and reduces temperature peaks.
